Artificial Christmas trees are very convenient to use for holiday decorating, especially for those who are allergic, but they must be shaped and fluffed every year to give them a more natural and realistic look.
In order to have a full and fluffy looking artificial Christmas tree, you must fluff it before adding the ornaments.
Some people like to fluff their Christmas tree before adding the lights, however others like the fluff it while they are adding lights or after adding the lights. Any of the ways work well.
Decorating a Christmas tree is fun and you might want to jump right into adding the decorations without fluffing, however you should take the time before decorating to fluff your tree to avoid your tree looking cheap. You can enlist friends or family to help so the process goes faster.
Here are the steps for reshaping an artificial Christmas tree.
Preparation
Assemble your Christmas tree per the manufacturer's instructions.
If you cannot find the instructions, look online at the manufacturer's website.
Ensure that the Christmas tree does not wobble.
If you have a pre-lit tree, plug in the lights and ensure that everything is in working order.
You may want to fluff your Christmas tree with the lights on so you can get a better idea of how the tree looks.
Many people like to use gloves when working with Christmas trees so they don't irritate their hands.
You might also want to wear long sleeves so your arms don't get scratched.
Disguise the Trunk
The most obviously artificial part of your Christmas tree may be the trunk of the tree.
If your Christmas tree is not looking very full, wrap some thin garland around the trunk of your tree, from top to bottom, to disguise the pole and junction points where the branches attach.
Shape
When shaping your Christmas tree, you must be patient and take your time.
Every limb and every branch must be addressed.
You might find it easier to start fluffing your Christmas tree as you assemble it. If your Christmas tree comes in 3 pieces, attach the bottom piece, then fluff it before adding the other pieces. This allows a better view and access to the center of the Christmas tree.
Start by fluffing the bottom branches at the center of the tree and work that same branch towards the outside, all the way around.
The branches typically should be parallel to the floor, but the stem locations may be different depending on the type of tree you have.
Reference the photo on the box your artificial Christmas tree came in to see how they suggest your stems be configured.
Sometimes the stems should be parallel to the ground and neatly in a row at an angle, but other times they should be in a fan shape in all different directions.
If you have a pre-lit tree, make sure you don't tug too hard on the light strings, else they could become disconnected or a bulb could shift out of place and shut off the entire string.
Some people like to purposely point the inner limbs up in a diagonal to ensure that there are no visible holes, even though the Christmas tree would not look like that in nature.
Stand Back
The best way to know how your tree fluffing is going is to stand back and view your Christmas tree from a distance on occasion.
Check to make sure there are no holes and that your tree looks full and fluffy.
Not Full Enough?
If your artificial Christmas tree is not as full as you would like, consider adding an evergreen or grapevine twig garland throughout it to add to its fullness.
Another option is to use large greenery stems to fill in holes, such as poinsettias.
Not Bright Enough?
Some trees may have part of the tree where the lights no longer work after a few years.
You can spend hours fiddling with the lights to try and get them to work, or you can just add a strand of new lights to the tree on top of the lights that don't work.
Also, most pre-lit artificial Christmas trees come with a standard amount of lights, which might not seem bright enough.
Consider adding additional Christmas lights in a larger size on top of the lights that came with your tree to get a designer look.
You might also like the article Designer Secrets for How to Put Lights on a Christmas Tree.
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